The club

Classic football economics: year-on-year losses, falling crowds (averaging 16,812 last season), and a wages-to-turnover ratio over 90%. Dave Whelan's conversion of £48m debt into equity in January improved the image, but it's still football's least commercial vanity project. To keep the heady mid-table dream alive, Wigan's model relies on loose foundations: player sales, sustaining Premier League TV money, and Dave's own longevity.

They'd bite your hand off if you offered them …

Europe, or 10,000 more fans – or just a sense of soul at the DW, something to set it apart from neighbours B&Q, Pets at Home and Brian's Furnishing Stores.

Reality check

Last season started cruelly – 0-4 to Blackpool and 0-6 to Chelsea – then settled into a grinding struggle. But there are signs this time could be more productive. There's a ceiling on what Wigan can achieve, but two factors – Roberto Martínez's decision to stay, and securing the goalkeeper Ali al-Habsi – have given pre-season a lift.

What the fans sing

We've won it two times, We've won it two times, Auto Windscreens, We've won it two times.

What the fans should sing

So Lonely (The Police).

One to follow on Twitter

"Thank God, I have in my possession the shirt of one of the best strikers in history. It's the great fatso's." (Later: "Obviously it's Ronaldo's")

The players

This is England

Last season they set a club record for call-ups due to the high number of foreign internationals attracted by the Wigan lifestyle. They're without England players – though young hopefuls Callum McManaman and Lee Nicholls did make the Under-20 World Cup squad.

Overseas aid

The Omani keeper Habsi kept them up last season: at £4m he's a bit of a bargain. Other key assets – and ongoing targets for rivals – are Mohamed Diamé, Hugo Rodallega and Ireland's James McCarthy.

Heart and soul or captain caveman?

Gary Caldwell made errors and provoked critics last season, but was also a big influence in pulling the side together at the end.

Teenage kicks

The two brightest hopes are no longer teens: Victor Moses and McManaman, both now 20, should stand out.

Mad, bad and dangerous to know

Diamé told a French paper that Wigan was "a crappy place" where "there is nothing to do" and "it is rare to see truly beautiful girls". He insisted he was quoted out of context, but Wigan's mayor was cross: "Wigan is a winning place with a winning mentality."

The manager

Paid the cost to be the boss

Martínez's decision to reject Aston Villa in return for only a massive long-term pay rise was a touching show of loyalty. His links with the club date to his move from Spain in 1995 aged 22 ("it was like coming to the moon"). As a manager, he led Swansea to the Championship playing attractive, winning football, then returned to Wigan in June 2009 to play attractive, losing football. Swansea fans thought it through, then called him "El Judas".

Clogger or tiki-taka?

Tiki to a fault: admirable and dangerous. But it did "begin" to work towards the end of last season – the formula's potential obvious in the brilliant final 10 minutes of the 3-2 win over West Ham, and the unlikely last-day 1-0 victory at Stoke. If Martínez can maintain that momentum and style into the new season, his growing reputation will make more sense.

On his to-do list

Replacing Tom Cleverley, who went back to Manchester United after his loan; solving the lack of goals – only Birmingham scored fewer at home; finding a new club for Boselli as quickly and quietly as possible; and continuing to develop Ben Watson. Watson's improvement last season mirrored the team's: a fragile, inconsistent midfielder prone to spraying passes to opponents turned into a confident ball-player able to dominate and set the tempo. He still can't take corners, but he's one of Wigan's most positive stories.

The advice Sepp Blatter might give to your club

"I like captain Caldwell. Old school like Charlie Chaplin. No 'whatever happened to Spangles' routine – just pratfall after pratfall."

Rule change

Can't be bothered. If a law change is applied in an empty stadium, does it actually affect anything?